HEARTS AND HANDS BY O'HENRY
作者简介：
欧·亨利本名William Sydney Porter(1862-1910)是美国最著名短篇小说家之一。他也是一位诗人、记者、编辑。他的小说以结构奇巧、角色生动见称，尤其是结局，一向为人津津乐道。读者在看完他的一篇小说之后，常会有回味无穷的感觉。他最令人称道的二篇短篇小说是「红酋长的赎金」(The Ransom of Red Chief )和「贤士的礼物」(The Gift of the Magi)。
At Denver, a great many passengers joined the coaches on the eastbound Boston and Maine train. In one coach, there sat a very pretty young woman. She was beautifully and richly dressed. Among the newcomers were two men. The younger one was good-looking with a bold, honest face and manner. The other was a large, sad-faced person, roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed together. 一进丹佛站，这东行开往波士顿和缅因州的列车，上来大量的旅客。有一节车厢里坐着一位十分标致的年轻小姐。她的衣着美丽而昂贵。新上车的旅客里有两个男子，年纪较轻的一位蛮俊的，敞着一张坦诚的脸，态度落落大方。另外一个，大块头、苦瓜脸，一身粗布衣裳。两人的手拷在一起。
As they passed down the aisle of the coach, the only empty seat was one facing the young woman. Here the linked pair seated themselves. The woman quickly glanced at them with disinterest. Then with a lovely smile, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke, her voice showed that she was used to speaking and being heard. 这两个人打车厢中间过道一路走来，就只年轻小姐正对面有空位。手拷手的这一对落了座。小姐漫不在意迅速瞥了他们一眼，却马上展露可爱的微笑，伸出她戴了灰色手套的纤纤小手。她一开口说话，那声音一听就知道她是发号施令惯了的。
"Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don't you ever say hello to old friends when you meet them in the West?" 「好哇，易士旦先生。你要真存心让我先开口，我看我必得照办了。在大西部，你见到老朋友，就从来连个招呼也不打吗？」
The younger man pulled himself up sharply at the sound of her voice. He seemed to struggle with a little embarrassment, which he threw off instantly. Then he held her fingers with his left hand. 年轻男子听到她的声音，突然一愣，好像有点难为情地挣扎了一下，但立刻恢复镇定，拿左手去握她的手指头。
"It's Miss Fairchild," he said, with a smile. "I'll ask you to excuse the other hand. I'm not able to use it just at present." 「是你，费亚嘉小姐！」他说，带着笑容：「得请你多包涵另一只手罗，此刻我暂时没法儿用它。」
He slightly raised his right hand, which was bound at the wrist by the shining bracelet to the left one of his partner. The happy look in the woman's eyes slowly changed to one of puzzled horror. The glow passed from her cheeks. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other stopped him. The sad-faced man had been watching the young woman's face with his sharp, searching eyes.
"You'll excuse me for speaking, Miss. But I see you know the marshal here. If you'll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen, he'll do it. It'll make things easier for me there. He's taking me to Leavenworth Prison. It's seven years for counterfeiting."
他微微举举右手，手腕处有幅闪亮的手铐把它和他同伴的左手铐在一起。小姐眼里快乐的神情缓缓地变成了困惑和嫌恶，两颊上也光彩顿失。易士旦逗趣地轻笑了几声，正待继续开口说话，却被他的同伴止住了。苦瓜脸男子，从刚才一直用他敏锐犀利的眼睛注意观看年轻小姐的脸色。
「你得原谅我插嘴啊，小姐。因为你认得咱们这位警官大人，我看出来你要肯替我向他求个情，将来到牢囚时，为我美言一句，他一定听你的，而我的日子可就好过许多了。这会儿他就要送我进励奋沃监狱去。伪钞罪，七年刑期。」
"Oh!" she said, with a deep breath and returning color. "So that is what you are doing out here. A marshal!" 「哦！」她说，舒了口气，脸上也有了血色：「原来你到外面做的是这一行－一个警官大人员！」
"My dear Miss Fairchild," said Easton calmly, "I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings. You know it takes money to keep in step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and……Well, a marshal isn't quite as high a position as that of an ambassador, but……" 「亲爱的费雅嘉小姐，」易士旦镇静地说：「我总得找个事做啊。钱哪，是插翅膀飞的。你知道要在华盛顿咱们那群人里不落在人后是很费钱的。既然西部有这么个缺我就来了。咳，警官不能和大使比，可是……」
"The ambassador," she said warmly, "doesn't call anymore. He needn't ever have done so. You ought to know that. So now you are one of these dashing western heroes. And you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That's different from the Washington life. You have been missed by the old crowd." The woman's eyes, interested, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the shiny handcuffs. 「那个大使，」她温地说：「早不来找我了。其实他根本不必多此一举。你该明白这一点的。如今你是勇敢的西部大英雄，骑马开枪出入千难万险之中。那是完全不同于华府的生活了。这一向大家都很惦念你。」小姐的眼睛，在意的，移回去，稍梢睁大了，看看亮亮的手铐。
"Don't you worry about them, Miss," said the other man. "All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business." 「你别担心这些手铐，小姐，」另外那人说：「警官怕犯人逃脱，全是这样把自己和犯人铐在一起的。易士旦先生晓得怎么办好自己的事。」
"Will we see you again soon in Washington?" asked Miss Fairchild. 「我们是不是很快可以在华府又看到你呢？」费雅嘉小姐问。
"Not soon, I think," said Easton. "My carefree days are over, I fear." 「我想不会很快的，」易士旦说；「恐怕我的无牵无挂的日子已经过去了。」
"I love the West," she said. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away and out the train window. She began to speak truly and simply, forgetting about style and manner. "Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because Father was ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn't everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid. 「我爱大西部，」她说，两眼流露着柔柔的光，撇过头望车窗的外面。她开始平平实实地说话，全忘了装腔作势：「家母和我在丹佛过了一个夏天，因为父亲生病，她一个礼拜前就先回家了。我在西部生活蛮习惯的，可以过得很幸福。我想这儿的空气挺适合的。钱不是一切。可是人们总是误做许多事，愚笨不开窍。」
"Say, Mr. Marshal," growled the sad-faced man. "This isn't quite fair. I'm needin' a drink of water. Haven't you been talking long enough? Take me into the dining car now, won't you?" 「我说警官先生啊，」苦瓜脸的嚷嚷着：「这有点欠公道吧？咱想喝一口水。你还没谈够哇？求你行个好，就带咱们上餐车吧？」
The bound travelers rose to their feet. Easton still had the same slow smile on his face. 绑在一起的旅客俩站起身。易士旦脸上依然是幽幽温温的那幅微笑。
"I can't say no to a need for water," he said lightly. "It's the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know." He held out his hand for a farewell. 「我不好拒绝，他需要喝水，」易士旦轻描淡写地：「落难人就只这么点支撑了。再见，费雅嘉小姐。任务在身，你懂的。」他伸出手道别。
"It's too bad you are not going East," she said, remembering again her manner and style. "But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?" 「非常遗憾你不往东部，」她说，又记起她该有的仪态和格调：「你一定得去励奋沃，我断定……」
"Yes," said Easton. "I must go on to Leavenworth." 「是啊，」易士旦说：「我一定得去励奋沃。」
The two men made their way down the aisle into the dining car. 两个男人便往过道走，向餐车而去。
The two passengers in a seat nearby heard most of the conversation. Said one of them, "That marshal is a good sort of chap. Some of these Westerners are all right." 坐在邻近的两名旅客，几乎全听清了他们讲的话，其中的一个说：「那警官真是一个好人，这些西部人有不少还真不错呢。」
"Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn't he?" asked the other. "Young!" exclaimed the first speaker. "Why?…… Oh!…… Didn't you catch on? Say, did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?" 「他那年龄当警官，挺年轻的，不是吗？」另外一个问。头一个叫起来︰「哎呀呀！干嘛，你后来没看出来呀？你看过有哪个警官把自己的右手和他递解的囚犯铐在一起的？」